The Sheikh's Crown (Sheikh's Wedding Bet Series Book 2)

by Leslie North

  “I also speak Persian and Italian,” she said as she took a bite out of her roll. “I have a love for languages. And culture.”

  “You speak all those languages and yet the only places you’ve been are America and my country. I find that hard to believe,” he told her, as he picked up his wine and took a sip.

  “I made up for it by studying the world. What about you? You’ve been all over. What’s your favorite city?”

  Adil sat back and cocked his head as he thought. She wasn’t wrong. He had traveled the world, but he hadn’t really paid attention to anything. He focused on good food, good wine, and good women. Everything else was just window dressing. “I couldn’t even begin to pick one,” he said vaguely.

  Samine rolled her eyes and pulled away. “Because you were too busy with a woman under your arm to notice?”

  “That’s not fair,” he said sharply. “You’re basing your judgment of me on what you read on the gossip websites. I’m more than my reputation.”

  She looked contrite. “You’re right. Sorry.”

  Adil sighed. “Don’t be. The truth is that you’re not wrong. I didn’t really pay much attention to the culture. And I’m sorry that I snapped at you. I wanted tonight to be special.”

  “Why? Adil, you barely know me. I get the feeling that you don’t usually have to put in this much effort to seduce women. So why me?”

  “I like you,” he admitted softly. “You’re brilliant and passionate and beautiful. Why wouldn’t I want to put in the effort to get to know you more?”

  She gazed at him over the candlelight. “Are we doing anything else after dinner?” she asked huskily.

  “I was thinking a private tour on the river,” he replied, as he leaned forward. “Why do you ask?”

  “Because I think we’re finished here.”

  He tensed at her words. “Anxious to get the evening over with, Samine?”

  “Anxious to be somewhere more private,” she said with a smile. “If that’s all right with you.”

  A grin spread across his face. “It’s more than all right with me.” He hastily signaled to the waiter and paid for the meal. Placing a hand on the small of her back, he guided her out of the restaurant and down the street. “We could skip the river tour and return to the hotel.”

  “I don’t think so. Now that I’ve had a taste of what it’s like to be wooed, I want the whole package,” she said as she lifted her head to him. He couldn’t help himself. Bending down, he brushed his lips across hers.

  Her lips parted, and she inhaled sharply. “What was that for?” she whispered.

  “Just a taste. You look so sweet,” he murmured as he bent down for more. She ducked her head and giggled.

  “What?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m just afraid if we go down this road, you’ll sweet talk me back to the hotel, and I really want to see Paris from the river.”

  Adil chuckled and nodded. “Fair enough.” Guiding her down the street, he enjoyed the closeness of her body. She no longer pulled away from him, but snuggled right next to him. Twenty minutes later, he led her to the banks of the river where several boats were waiting. After a quick exchange with the captain, he stepped onto the boat and held out his hand. “Are you ready?”

  “This is the most amazing thing anyone has ever done for me. I want you to know that,” she said softly as she took his hand and stepped on board.

  He pulled her close and gazed down at her. “The night’s not over yet, Samine.”

  Doubt flickered in her eyes, but it seemed to be gone as quickly as it appeared. Adil wasn’t even sure it was ever there to begin with, but he suspected it had something to do with trust. Maybe Samine had been burned by a man before and didn’t want to trust him.

  But this wasn’t long term. This was just a night with a beautiful woman in his arms. She didn’t need to fear anything. They settled in the boat, and the captain turned his back and pushed them off. The wooden boat was small but designed for comfort. She leaned into him and smiled.

  “The stars are beautiful,” she breathed.

  “Not nearly as beautiful as you,” he murmured as he tilted her chin up. Once again, he bent down to brush his lips along hers, but before he could kiss her, she began to laugh.

  “Do lines like that work on women?” she asked him as her eyes danced merrily with amusement.

  “Usually, yes.” Frowning, he began to back away, but she grabbed the lapels on his coat and pulled him back toward her.

  “Maybe don’t try so hard,” she whispered before she kissed him. Before he could pull away, she had her hands in his hair and her mouth opened beneath his. With a soft moan, he swept his tongue in to drink deeply from her.

  She was sweet and tangy all at once, and he couldn’t get enough. As she pulled his head down, the kiss grew more heated and urgent, and he slid his hands around to glide through her hair. They stayed locked in this position until he had to come up for air.

  “God,” he murmured, as he rubbed the side of his head.

  She laughed softly and buried her face in his chest. “I’m sorry. I don’t really know what came over me.”

  “Trust me, I am not complaining. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.” He brushed his fingers along her hair. “Are you okay?”

  “A little embarrassed,” she said when she finally lifted her head to look at him. “I don’t usually react like this.”

  “Stroke my male ego a little more,” he said with a smile. “I love it.”

  She laughed and punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Look at the city,” she said suddenly. “Adil, it’s stunning.”

  He wanted to look. He really did. But he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The pleasure in her face was absolutely genuine. It was so easy to make her happy, and suddenly, he wanted to make sure she was never unhappy again.

  “Samine, I’m going to kiss you again. Is that okay?”

  She looked up at him, and he was lost in her dark, chocolate-colored eyes. The whole world melted away, and all he could see was her. “More than okay.” He bent down again, and this time, he was sure he would suffocate before he would let her go again.

  They settled into a comfortable pattern, and for most of the duration of the ride, they didn’t look at anyone but each other. They kissed and cuddled and kissed more. He wanted more, but everything he wanted from her, he wanted to do in the privacy of their hotel suite. While public affection did sometimes give him a thrill, he wanted his first time with her to be for his eyes only, which was new to him and something else for him to worry about, but that could come later. For now, he was enjoying the softer side of Samine.

  As the guide announced that the tour was over, Adil reluctantly pulled away from her. “Is there anything else you wanted to do tonight before we head back?” he asked politely as he helped her out of the boat.

  Her response was to pull him down for another kiss, and he ran his hands down her body. A soft moan escaped her lips, and she pulled away suddenly. “We need to go back,” she said with a smile. “Before I do something that’s really going to embarrass me.”

  He laughed and waved down a taxi. On the ride back, he couldn’t keep his hands off her. “Your guards are getting an eyeful,” she said as she leaned back to look out the back window.

  “They’re used to it.”

  Just like that, the air around them grew cold. He cursed his stupidity as she pulled away. “I’m sure they are,” she said with a short laugh.

  “Samine,” he started.

  “You don’t need to apologize, Adil. I should apologize. I’ve let you flirt with me, and I’ve flirted back because it turned my head that a sheikh would show interest in me. But the truth is that I’m not the woman who has one-night stands with the rich and famous like some sort of groupie. I know that you’ve put all this effort into a romantic evening with the idea that it ends in your favor, but I don’t think I can do this.”

  “I didn’t plan a romantic evening to guilt you into sex,” A
dil growled as his body grew rigid. “And I’m offended by the implication.”

  “I didn’t mean...” she sighed. “Actually, maybe I did mean it. I don’t really know you. I just know your reputation. We should just put tonight past us and focus on the work ahead.”

  “What work?” Adil asked softly. He was angry, but it had nothing to do with her pulling away from him and everything to do with how she saw him.

  “Seeing that the Louvre has everything they need for the show? My article? Have you forgotten already?” she asked angrily.

  The taxi pulled up to the hotel, and he got out without even looking at her. “We’ll talk again in the morning. Good night, Samine.”

  He didn’t bother to make sure she was following as he continued up to their suite. It wasn’t until after he shut the door to his bedroom and stripped off his suit that he realized that he’d never heard the door to the suite open. Samine had never returned to her room. She was obviously sulking somewhere in the city. He felt a pang of guilt until he remembered that she spoke French better than he did. She would be fine.

  The shrill ring of a phone surprised him, as he looked at the time. He must have fallen asleep. Grabbing the phone from the nightstand, he glanced at it. Bruce. What did he want now? He sighed before answering. “Summers. This better be good,” he growled.

  Bruce was panicked. “There’s something wrong with the shipment.”

  The man was such a pessimist. Pressing his hand to his temples, he rubbed them. “There is nothing wrong with the shipment, Bruce.”

  “The manifesto is wrong. I just looked it over, and the crate numbers on the manifesto don’t match the numbers on the shipment label. You have to check them right now, Adil. I’m telling you. Something is wrong.”

  “Fine. I’ll go check them,” he muttered. “I’m sure it’s just a clerical error.”

  “I hope you’re right. Call me back as soon as you’re there,” Bruce said tightly before hanging up. Adil took a deep breath to settle his temper. That man pushed his buttons.

  Grabbing a t-shirt, he tossed it over his head and stretched it over his chest. He wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible and didn’t dare bring his guards with him, since they actually worked for his father. So, he left word with the guards to let Samine know that he’d stepped out, he left the hotel and whistled for a taxi. It was only a ten-minute drive to the warehouse. Paying the driver, he told him to wait, as he walked toward the building.

  He didn’t see anyone around and was annoyed that the door was locked. Jiggling the handle, he peered into the window to see a security guard sitting behind the counter. Rapping on the window, he watched him get reluctantly to his feet and walk to the door.

  Opening the door, the guard growled at him, “You have no authority to be here.”

  “I’m Sheikh Adil Khalidizack. Check your records,” he barked at him as he pulled out his identification. “You’re housing crates that belong to me, and I need to check them.” Adil waited impatiently while the guard took his ID and returned to his place behind the counter to check the computer. Since he left the door open, Adil followed him inside and waited impatiently while he tapped away on the keyboard.

  “I apologize, sir,” the guard said, handing his ID back as he unlocked the door to the storage area. “Please take your time.”

  Adil stepped into the dimly lit warehouse. In the distance, he heard the sound of wood splintering. In a panic, he surged forward. When he found the source of the sound, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

  “Samine?” he asked incredulous.

  She held a crowbar up as a weapon and whirled around to face him. She had changed into a pair of dark jeans and matching blouse. Her chest heaved as she looked at him, and she was covered in dirt and sweat. Based on the broken crates around her, she’d been busy.

  “You’re a fucking thief,” he growled. “Was this your plan all along? Seduce me and distract me so you could steal the collection?”

  Samine swung the crowbar up to rest it on her shoulder. “Take a look around, Adil. I can’t be a thief if there is nothing here to steal.”

  He frowned and shook his head. “I don’t understand. You’ve had ample time to steal from us. Why would you wait until it was shipped to the warehouse? That doesn’t seem like a smart plan.”

  “Look around you, Adil,” she snapped. “There is nothing here. All the crates were switched. Someone stole from you before I could get to it.”

  Her words penetrated his disbelief, and he looked around. Sure enough, all the crates she’d busted open were empty. Nothing but packing material spilled on the ground. “I don’t understand,” he muttered. “How could this happen?” He put his hands on his head and turned around in a circle. “It’s all gone. Jaymin is going to kill me.”

  She dropped the crowbar and shook her head in a panic. “Adil, you can’t tell your family about this.”

  “Why do you care?” He looked at her coldly. “You don’t have anything to lose except money. I’m sure you can find something else to steal from the Louvre and still walk away from Paris with a pretty penny.”

  “You don’t know anything about me,” she hissed at him. “But I do know something about that collection. Bruce no doubt had it insured. If you tell them about the theft, they’ll simply write it off and collect the money.”

  “That’s normally a good thing.” Adil frowned. “But more than that, my family will cut me off. I was tasked to do one thing, and I couldn’t even do that.”

  “Great,” Samine said with a smile.

  “Of course you’d be happy about that,” he said wearily.

  “I don’t care if you’re cut off or not. I just need you to be motivated. Adil, we can find the collection. I can help you. The family never has to know that it was gone.”

  “And in return?”

  “Well, I’ll let you know what I need in return when the time comes. What do you say?”

  Adil sneered at her. “You’re going to use your skills as a thief to find my collection?”

  She put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “I have more contacts all over the world than you have ex-lovers. If you want to find that collection quickly, you’ll need my help.”

  He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. The responsible thing to do was call his family and tell them the truth, but that would mean failure. That would mean calling Jaymin’s bluff.

  And he had a feeling his oldest brother wasn’t joking.

  On the other hand, if he didn’t call his family, he would have to find that collection, and that meant trusting Samine. But as he looked at her now, he realized that this wasn’t the elegant woman from the wedding. This wasn’t the excited woman who helped catalogue the artifacts. This wasn’t the impressed woman who had kissed him breathless just hours ago on the river.

  He had no idea who she was. And he was putting his future in her hands. A thief’s hands.

  But if there was one thing he did know he could do, it was handle a woman. “I can only delay Bruce and the museum for so long. We need to find it quickly,” he said finally.

  A wicked smile crossed her face. “Then we’d better get started.”

  6

  Adil eyed Samine pacing his bedroom while he spoke with Bruce. “I’m telling you, Summers. I saw the collection. It’s fine, but I’m implementing some strong security measures just in case. It’ll take a couple more days before it gets to the Louvre, but everything is fine. And if the mess up in the manifesto was for an impending theft, we’ll be ready for them.”

  “Did you call the museum?” Bruce asked. They’d been arguing for a few minutes now, and Adil could tell that the man didn’t believe him.

  “I did, and they understand. They’re also doing another sweep of their security just to be sure.” That part was true. So far, everyone believed Adil with the exception of Bruce.

  “Fine,” Bruce said. “Keep me updated.” He hung up, and for the second time that night, Adil wanted to reach throug
h the phone and strangle the man. He worked for Adil. He shouldn’t be hanging up on him.

  “I just bought us a few days. Work your magic and find my collection,” Adil growled as he turned to face Samine. “And in the meantime, you’re going to explain just who you are and what you want.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re just pissed because you couldn’t seduce me. Stow the anger, Adil. We don’t have time for it. We can’t do anything tonight. Get some sleep. We’ll start first thing in the morning.”

  In a few steps, he crossed the floor and grabbed her arm. “Where do you think you’re going?” he hissed.

  She pulled at her arm, but he didn’t let her go. “I’m going to my room,” she said coldly. “Where do you think I’m going?”

  “Not tonight, Samine. You’re sleeping here.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Seriously? After all this, you’re still going to try to get me in your bed?”

  He chuckled dryly. “This isn’t about seduction. I don’t know anything about you, and I’m not about to let you out of my sight. Until that collection is safely under my supervision, you’re going to be right by my side.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said as she stared at him. “I need you to get your collection back just as much as you do. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “No, you’re not. And not because I want to whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Tonight, you’ll sleep with me so I can keep an eye on you. Tomorrow, we will go find my artifacts.”

  Samine glared at him. “Fine,” she growled. “Can I at least change?”

  He walked over to the dresser and pulled out a t-shirt. Tossing it at her, he gave her a smug smile and stripped down to his boxers. Crawling into bed, he turned his back to her. After a few minutes, he felt the bed dip as she climbed in next to him. Adil yearned to turn over and get a good look at her, but despite her betrayal, he knew that his body would get the best of him. Seeing her in his t-shirt might be more than he could handle, so he kept his back to her. Finally, he drifted off to sleep.

  Samine woke before Adil. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see him sprawled out on his back with his hand tossed over his head. His bare chest moved up and down with each breath, and she wanted to reach out and kiss a trail over his bare skin.